Hi guys, I have an issue with my Airmatic.

While I am driving, the cars shows me the suspension fail warning and within 30 seconds or so but no longer than a minute, goes from full inflated state from the front to completely to the floor and displays the infamous red car too low error.

Now one would assume that the struts are failing, but the car once pumped again to normal height, could stay for days in the parking and not lose a centimeter!

Here is my story:

A few months ago, I hit a pothole where I live in Montreal. Hard. My front right tire exploded. A few weeks later my front right strut started leaking air...I would wake up and my car would be all the way down on the right front.

Eventually, a few days later, the front left started failing as well. So I decided to go to my mechanic and have them changed.

After having found 2 grade A recycled struts (I don't have a job ATM because of health issues and can't afford brand new ones) we installed them.

The left side seemed OK, but the right side would refuse to go up. After a bunch of diagnosis he figure it was the distributor valve at the back of the car that was broken. There was no air coming out of the front right socket.

So I scoured the internet and found a recycled compressor that came with a recycled distribution valve.
We installed it. The front right side would now raise, but maybe at half the distance of the left side.

My mechanic was stomped and couldn't figure out what it was. So I took it home the right front side at half the height of the left front side.

As I was driving it, the car lowered itself completely to the ground! Withing 30 seconds or so! And it would continue doing that same pattern every few kilometers. Even after I park, after a few seconds, the car would completely drop itself on the front, or would do so after a few hours.

So I decided to go to the Mercedes dealership as a last resort. After a few hours diagnosis, they said that they needed to calibrate the struts.

Once the calibration done, they bring me the car, the front right side is still at half the height of the left!!! I ask them what's up with that, they said they did not know and that it is now calibrated and they give me the bill!!!!

I was really really pissed!!

So I drive the car, and surprisingly, it did not drop suddenly while I was driving for a 100 kilometer...even though it was not leveled. So I bring it to another mechanic and tell him the story...

The new mechanic decided to play with the level sensors...he adjusted the front right on a non flat surface...just by eye...and the car raised on the front right...and now rides a bit higher on the right than on the left.

So I have been driving for 3 days, and the car seemed OK...no sudden drop while driving, and it doesn't drop an inch over night. So I though the problem was fixed.

Today, while I was driving on the highway, I received the dreaded suspension failed error, and then the RED pull over message

So I pull over, turn off the car, start it again, the suspension inflates.

All the mechanics are stomped, Mercedes can't fix it....

I need help guys

So in summary:
-------------------
1. Changed both front air struts to grade A recycled
2. Changed suspension compressor and distribution valve to grade A recycled
2.1. Suspension was un-even on the front
2.2. Car would drop in the front every few kilometers completely and quickly while driving
3. Calibrated suspension and dealership
4. Adjusted level sensor
4.1. Car is now a bit higher on the right side than the left side (look at pictures pls)
4.2. Car still drops randomly while driving but a lot less than before calibration
4.3. Suspension DOES NOT deflate over night, for several days...











.

 

Pounding on the pavement is pushing air out of the strut bladder until it reaches def-con 5. I think your rebuilt struts are bad. My 2 cents having owned my share of Airmatic equipped Mercedes

and Holy Rain Man, those are some curbed wheels you got there.

 

I would focus on that right front level sensor. The hard hit probably broke it.

 

Thanks all for your reply.

I doubt it is this issue as I have tried bouncing the car myself on the front, really hard, and nothing deflated.




Would a broken level sensor make the car randomly lower itself while driving? (and not when parked)

 

absolutley. only "works" when the car is on. sounds like a sensor issue...

 

OK, I went to my mechanic and he read the codes from the computer.

It sais an error with the leveling sensor at the front. He was too quick and erased the exact error, and which side exactly...duh!

I wanted for him to email me the scan...but too late.

Could it be that? If so, is it only a matter of changing the sensors?

 

Yes , absolutely. It sends wrong readings from a sensor to computer , and thats why you cant get it aligned. If erasing the code didnt help. Replace it.

 

OK, great....but is that what is causing the car to drop while driving?

 

Yes. It is losing the signal or possibly shorting out internally, causing the computer to think it is too high, so it dumps the air, then the sensor resets or clears the erroneous reading and you get the "too low" warning in the dash. Hard to know for sure exactly what it is doing without seeing the data as it occurs, but I'm betting on a faulty sensor.

 

Makes a lot of sens!

Thanks for your help.

I will replace them and see what gives.